i’m painting the railings on blue box units using floquil rr paints.will it stick to metal or do i need a primer.thanks
Floequil and Scalecoat (solvent) paints stay on those rails better than most any other. I have never needed primer, however, you should lightly sand w/ 600 especially on any portions that may see excessive handling. Wipe the rails down w/ alcohol or equivalent to remove any oils from maching or handling. The toughest spot to keep the paint on is the end step rails where most are safety painted.
Another hint is before painting, set those crimped stantions w/ a drop of CA, then wick immediately. This will ensure that those verticals won’t move. I don’t rely on a mechanical crip or the paint to bond them.
I did my Athearn BB GP40 handrails with Floquil Zinc Chromate Primer with a top coat of acrylic white. I used a brush because I couldn’t figure a way to mask the entire locomotive off from the railings. It’s still on there. The paint scheme is B&M bluebird (blue carbody with white handrails). One trick, place a bit of cardstock or stiff paper on the walkway, leaning against the hood. Then if your hand slips, you don’t get a dab of handrail color on the hood.
Getting paint to stick to metal is always a challenge so be religious in your surface prep. Rubbing down the wire parts with very fine sandpaper is good, it puts some “tooth” in the metal for the primer to grab onto. Or, pickle the wire in a mild acid (supermarket vinegar). I used a lot of alcohol (shellac thinner) on a rag and then a pipe cleaner, several pipe cleaners in fact after assembling the handrails onto the locomotive to get the fingerprints off. Some one suggested superglue to bond the stanchions to the railing and that sounds like a good idea too.
I painted an Athearn BB GP-50 last year. I assembled the handrails in the locomotive, first. Once, I had them lined up where I wanted them, I set the tops of the handrail stanchions with a small drop of CA using a straight pin. I then removed them VERY carefully, using a very small jewelers screwdriver. It’s a lot easier to paint the handrails when they’re not on the model. It also saves the chore of masking. I made a painting stand using very small clothespins that I found at a Dollar store. I wiped down the rails with alcohol to remove any oils from my fingers. I then primed it with gray automotive primer. I use PollyScale acrylics, almost exclusively. After painting the ends the railroads safety color; white, yellow, etc., I finished off the handrails with Testors Dullcote.
I install the handrails then weather the locomotive.
An added note on the install of the BB stancions: Many times the 90 bend that fits into the walkway will not completely seat against side of walkway. I clip a touch off this before install. Many of my older BB loco have replacement stancions/ rails w/ Smokey Valley components. Real nice stuff but not around anymore. I’ve seen other outfits that do these.